Solitude
by X-Nerd
Summary: Tom, Hal, and the rest of the team are sent on a scouting mission to the city of Lynn, MA. Imagine their surprise when they discover that the city is completely functioning like normal... as if the invasion hadn't even happened.
1. Chapter 1

Weaver studied the map on his desk, his eyes shifting from side to side. His hand rose and he lifted his finger, pointing it at a small dot on the paper.

"All of you will be put on a scouting mission. You will be sent to the city of Lynn, about 7 miles north of here. Some of the other masses have been sending us reports of "productive life" in this city. Some even say that people are living there normally, as if nothing is going on. I've decided that we investigate these claims and, if found true, we'll decide from there what to do. You will take one truck and two bikes. You leave tomorrow morning at exactly 0600 hours. Dismissed."

Hal sighed and stood up, stretching his legs and arms. Tom stood and went over to Weaver to discuss details of the mission, even though there really were none. Hal took this opportunity to turn to Maggie and smirked sarcastically.

"Looks like we'll be getting up early to get the bikes ready. You as excited as I am?"

She scowled.

"Of course not."

She sighed.

"This mission is absolutely pointless. All we're gonna find is a bunch of weirdos who think the world is still perfectly fine. Trust me."

Hal grinned.

"Hey, maybe we won't find anything, and we'll get to leave early! That would be great."

Maggie scowled once again.

"Not with your dad running things. He's a teacher, Hal. We'll stay there even longer than we have to with him in charge."

Hal smiled, and punched her arm.

"C'mon, cheer up **Margaret**,"

He stressed her real name, making her glare straight at him.

"I'm sure it's not gonna be all that bad. I mean, we get to ride the bikes for _seven_ _miles_. That's pretty sweet."

Maggie stuck her tongue out at him, then got up and left the classroom. Hal grinned. He loved getting her mad. He quickly snapped out of it as his father straightened up from his talk with Weaver, walking towards his oldest son. They exited the classroom together, falling in step beside each other.

"So?"

"Nothing new. I just wanted to go over everything with him, since we've never gone this far from base before."

Hal shrugged.

"I think we'll be fine. The attacks have ceased in this area for the time being, and we won't be going anywhere near downtown where the ship is, so the odds are pretty much in our favor."

Tom smiled at his son.

"Hunger Games?"

Hal grinned.

"Of course!"

He ran off ahead of his dad, meaning to find Ben and tell him everything. Tom just chuckled to himself. Hal was becoming more like Ben every minute, and simultaneously Ben was becoming more like Hal. And not in the way Tom had hoped he would.


	2. Chapter 2

Ben walked over to the rest of the group, filled backpack slung over one shoulder. He saw Hal and Maggie taking care of their bikes, and everyone else talking to Weaver, probably going over some last minute details. He didn't see Matt anywhere, which was probably for the best. Who knew how long they'd all be gone. He approached the truck and threw his pack inside the back, jumping inside himself. Hal noticed this from the corner of his eye and, after adjusting the mirrors on his bike one last time, walked over to Ben. He lowered his voice considerably, as if he was delivering heart-breaking news.

"Ben, are you sure you're up for this? I mean, you aren't even officially part of the fighters-"

"Yet." Ben cut in, letting Hal know he was actually paying attention.

"Fine. Yet." Hal clenched his teeth. He wasn't in the best of moods today, even knowing the fact that he got to ride his bike to a whole different part of Massachusetts. He swallowed his annoyance at his younger brother and put on his overprotective face.

"Ben, I'm worried that you'll get hurt or taken again or worse. I can't stand the thought of losing and having to find you again. If Dad finds even a scratch on you, it'll be my ass on the line!"

Ben pushed his brother away a bit.

"Hal, would you relax for just a minute? I'll be fine! I'm better at protecting myself now than I ever was before, and I'll have you and Dad and the other fighters here in case something happens. Besides, I think I'm old enough to be making decisions for myself now, Hal."

Hal grabbed Ben's shoulder.

"Not like this."

Hal meant so much by those three little words. His fear of Ben being taken again, his distress at not being able to be there to protect him all the time, his sadness at the fact that these are the types of decisions that his little brother had to make, when he should be choosing with his friends which Xbox games were the best and worst, or deciding which girl in his grade he would have a crush on that year. Hal frowned. Both of his brothers would never get the same experiences that he did, especially Matt.

The booming, military voice of Weaver brought him back to his senses.

"BOYS! Hurry up, you're moving out!"

Ben shrugged Hal's hand off of his shoulder, deepening the frown on Hal's face, but Ben just turned his back to him, pretending to be busy with his backpack. Hal sighed quietly and returned to his bike where Maggie was waiting for him.

"Everything okay?"

Hal sighed again, looking back towards his brother.

"With him, you never know."


End file.
